How can Muslim feminists reclaim their religion from men?

[rug]

We must challenge the idea of male guardianship that normalises the violation of Muslim women's rights, says Sarah Malik. Reuters: Olivia Harris

OPINION
By Sarah Malik
Posted about 10 hours ago

I'm at a wedding and my heart sinks. The imam is smiling as he addresses a large South Asian banquet hall fragrant with biryani waiting to be devoured.

The imam proclaims how it is the duty of the groom to love and be kind to his wife, as if she were a dog or a child.

He then reminds the bride to respect and obey the authority of her husband.

This seems at best benign and paternalistic. But it is just one example of how male guardianship and authority proliferates in Muslim faith communities.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-01/how-muslim-feminists-can-reclaim-religion-men/8484994

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Given that their religion was created by a man, how can they reclaim it?

Islam has patriarchal paradigm origins.
It is an Abrahamic faith, so it is ALSO built UPON a patriarchal paradigm.


How do you reclaim something that was never yours?

re·claim
[rəˈklām]

VERB
retrieve or recover (something previously lost, given, or paid); obtain the return of:
"he returned three years later to reclaim his title as director of advertising"

synonyms: get back · recoup · claim back · recover · regain · retrieve

bring (waste land or land formerly under water) under cultivation:
"little money is available to reclaim and cultivate the desert" · "reclaimed land"

Without the possessive 'their', I might assume the latter meaning of reclaim, to cultivate and make it theirs going forward, but the implied ownership of 'their' kind of rules it out.

[rug]

2. Islam does have universal principles.

[Cartoonist]

3. How about reclaiming reality?

Why not just toss their hate manual away and embrace a world without gods?

Imagine!

[rug]

4. If you want to reclaim reality, how about calling the Quran the Quran and not a hate manual?

[Cartoonist]

5. It has many inexcusable hate directives

Music and dogs just for starters. You want more?

[rug]

6. So does this room.

Go ahead, Cartoonist, if yo think you can defend it.

Start with the Quran's hqte speech against dogs.

[Cartoonist]

7. Technically, you got me.

http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/dogs.htm

Muhammad made strange and harsh statements about dogs and these edicts affect dogs in a tragic way. His teachings may have come from cultural bias, Pagan concepts, or his own imagination, but wherever they came from they led to the cruel treatment of dogs.

None of the statements regarding dogs are found in the Quran but they abound in the various collections of traditions (hadith). These traditions are a primary foundation of Islamic theology and are the basis of many Islamic laws. They render dogs as "impure" and worse. Per Muhammad’s orders most dogs were to be killed and all dogs of a specific color (black) had to be killed.

From Bukhari Vol. 4, #540
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle ordered that the dogs should be killed.

From Abu Dawud #2839
Abd Allah B. Mughaffal reported the apostle of Allah as saying: Were dogs not a species of creature I should command that they all be killed; but kill every pure black one.

The Hadith's note for #2839 says, "The prophet did not order the killing of all the dogs, for some are to be retained for hunting and watching. He ordered to kill the jet black ones. They might be more mischievous among them

[rug]

8. Congratulations. You've unearthed a crackpot site to refute a hate manual.

http://www.answering-islam.org/about.html

[Cartoonist]

9. Do you deny the quotes?

It was just the first site I found. There are others. Do I need your approval to link to them? How about some intellectual rebuttal instead of your usual name calling. (crackpot)

[rug]

10. And now, yo're complaing about calling your link a crackpot site while you're busy calling the Quran

a hate manual.

I will happily provide some intellectual rebuttal as soon as you provide some intellectual substance.

[Cartoonist]

11. Hate is hate

No rebuttal needed.

[rug]

13. No need to spread it either.

[guillaumeb]

12. Substance you say?

The replies illustrate only the feelings and beliefs of the poster. Feelings that we have read many times here. It seems to me that for some, the fact that there are believers who behave badly is reason to condemn the concept of belief itself. Simplistic, yes, but it occasionally passes for argument.

Like the silly argument that the presence of misfortune "proves" that there is no Creator.

[rug]

14. Dishonesty underlies all of it.

[Cartoonist]

15. I said nothing about "belief"

That's an entirely different subject. My remarks are about the Bible and Quran. Both tomes contain enough hate to make them contemptible.